“I guess when you’ve lived longer than your house and your family, then you’ve lived long enough.” — From Trip to Bountiful
Route 66 Railroad Crossing in Luther, Oklahoma
Luther, Oklahoma, A Route 66 railroad crossing just off the Mother Road | November 2011
This photo reminds me of my father and all the stories he used to tell me about sawmill gravy and the big homemade biscuits his mother used to make him. She’d stick her big fat thumb in the side and create a well for honey.
I picture my father living in a house just like the one in this picture. It looks like something straight out of Fried Green Tomatoes or Trip to Bountiful, two of my favorite movies.
My father never pretended to be somebody he wasn’t, and he found so much joy in books, poetry, and road trip adventures. When I was 15, he insisted that we dodge the Turner Turnpike and take the road less traveled – old Route 66. It doubled our trip time, which as a teenager made me crazy. I’m certain my head was buried in Seventeen Magazine the entire time. Now, I understand why it annoyed him so much. He wanted me to see and understand the significance of the road. These days, I can’t seem to get enough of it.
Someday, probably not that far away, the broken-down houses along Route 66 will succumb to the bulldozer of a new man’s dream. We’ll clear away the clutter, but probably never our condemning ways.
Best mother/son scene of any movie ever: Trip To Bountiful.
Check out this recipe for sawmill gravy from I Believe I Can Fry. It’s Route 66 worthy!
@TERRITORY MOM – I cry everytime I watch that clip. Actually, I could cry harder and longer than I do. LOL.
Made me cry too! I love your words. I sang Softly and Tenderly to my kids the other night and they said, “mama please don’t sing”. I was raised pentacostal so the song had a different vibe to it with electric guitar and drums added in. Anyway, I love your family stories and I didn’t know what I’ve been making every Saturday morning was called sawmill gravy, thanks!
I’m still crying.
@YOGI – I wish I were Baptist again at least once a day. Yogi, we were meant to be friends. I’m so glad we connected through the Oklahoma blog awards a few years ago now!
@LE – I want to get off the fast lane and into one of these low budget homes. This one might actually be free. =)
@ROSE – Thank you so much. I’m so glad I found you!! I cried when I wrote that. We throw too much away – including people.
“We’ll clear away the clutter, but probably never our condemning ways.” You have outdone yourself with this concluding sentence of your most poignant post today. Like you, I am very proud of the wisdom of my forebears. This final sentence of yours today will inspire me for many days to come! Thank you, Jen!
powerful image Jen – says a lot about life in the not so fast lane 🙂 le xox
Your comments about your father are similar to what I think about my parents.
I loved the Trip to Bountiful for different reasons but now love it for the clip that you posted. The song with it makes me wish I was a Baptist again.